Fla. woman gets 13 yrs for stuffing baby in cooler

MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) - A central Florida woman has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for stuffing a baby's body into a cooler.

Carolyn Renee Miller told authorities was taking care of Ja'veon Mitchell in 2011 when she said she woke up to find him dead. She said she panicked and packed the body in a cooler and hid it behind her boyfriend's Titusville home.

The child died of unknown causes but the medical examiner testified he was leaning toward homicide or neglect. Miller pleaded no contest Friday to aggravated manslaughter of a child and improper disposal of a human body.
Florida Todayreports the judge noted Miller was paid in crack cocaine to take care of the child.

Defense attorneys argued Miller was suffering from trauma from a tough upbringing.